LaosCulture Kit

•a complete list of itemscontained in the kit•featured themes •curriculum ideas

Item Description Qty

Flag of Laos

Officially adopted in 1975, the white circle on the blue field is said to represent the moon shining over the Mekong River. The blue stripe represents wealth, and the red represents the blood shed during the internal struggle for freedom.

(1)

Musician Ensemble Figurines:

Man and Woman

Mor lam, Lao folk music, features extemporaneous singing accompanied by the khene. Ensembles typically include two singers, also called mor lam, one male and one female; a khene player, and other instruments including fiddles, flutes and bells.

(2)

Miniature Khene Instrument

The khène, the Laotian national instrument, is typically an eighty centimeter mouth organ constructed of bamboo pipes connected with a small, hollowed-out hardwood reservoir into which air is blown. Its sound is similar to that of a violin, and it may be played as a solo instrument or to accompany singers and instrumental ensembles. For musicians with powerful enough lungs to master, there is also a two meter version.

(2)

Wallet/Change Purse (1)

Brass Buddhist Figurine (1)

Miniature Fish Traps

Freshwater fish are a major source of sustence and food security for the land-locked country. Historically, fishing activity was recorded in writ-ings on the gate and walls of the Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang dated 1560. Most fishers are part-time, catching enough to feed their families, and activity is concentrated near rivers, reservoirs and ponds.

(1)

Miniature Rice Cooker Bamboo rice cookers are a crucial component to successfully making sticky rice, the preferred rice style in Laos and Northern Thailand. (1)

Postcards Three postcards depicting traditional life in Laos (3)

Stamps (3)

Laotian Teaching Materials

Wall Hanging for teaching numbers and the alphabet Writing Book for teaching kids how to write their letters

Children’s Storybook

Pop Music CD

L-pop (an abbreviation for Lao popular music) is a musical genre consisting of pop, rock, hip hop, electronic, and R&B music. Lao pop gained international spotlight through Alexandra Bounxouei, who is considered to be the first Lao pop princess

Traditional Music CD

Traditional Lao classical musical instrumentation includes khawng wong (gongs), ranyaat (xylophone-like), the khui (bamboo flute) and pii (a double-reed instrument akin to the oboe). Styles of music include classical court music, hill tribe music, mor lam, and sakorn (syrupy sentimental pop music). Music from Thailand is also very popular.

Laos Zodiac SignsTwo wall hangings depicting the zodiac signs for the eight cardinal directions, believed to be associated with the days of the week, and twelve for the annual cycle.

(2)

Laos Culture Kit Major Themes: Performance, Music, Dance; Agricultural Industry; Language

Complimentary Library Materials: Religion•Buddhist Storytelling in Thailand and Laos - Leedom Lefferts

Hmong Refugees•Nine-in-One Grr! Grr! - Blia Xiong & Cathy Spagnoli• The Best Place to Live (VHS)

Performance•Lao Vientiane (VHS)•Classical Dance and Theater in Southeast Asia -Jukka Miettinen